The pope claims to be censured.

Back when papa Ratzinger (the popes name between people here in Italy) was just a cardinal, back in 1990, he expressed some opinions about the trail against Galileo in 1633, saying that it was "rational and just".

This incident, along with countless other examples of the pope working against natural science community, has led 63 professors of "La Sapienza", along with a number of students, to protest the planned appearance of the great pontiff at the ceremony for the opening the new academic year at the largest university in Europe, "La sapienza".

The really funny part of this story is the initial response from the Vatican. They responded that it was an attempt to censure the pope. Coming from the leader of a society that usually hanged people for saying something different, it seems absurd. Is it, at all, possible to censure anybody who owns his own radio channel, and thousands of people who work for him? It would be like asking Berlusconi to be quiet at a tea party.

In the end the pope has canceled his appearance, to the great disappointment of the very Catholic students of La Sapienza.

So its yet another night at the home office for the papà


Personally I think that the pope is very fundamental Cristian, and as an outsider thinks that he is pushing our world in the wrong direction. I understand that for the Italian (non believers) its a great victory, that he had to drop his speech. But should all voices and opinions not be heard?

The other day sitting in the metro, Sara and I was reading an article about how the pope used his authority to try to convince people that Veltroni ( the mayor of Rome) had neglected his duties. He does this because he supports the right wing politics and not the left which Veltroni is part of (It is of course more complicated then this, is also about the mayor not putting unmarried that lives together in jail (well people like me), not being against gays and lots of other problems from our present world, which is generally not considered to be a problem). Doing such things, its only fair that we drew horns on the picture of the pope. This let to very angry outbursts of the women standing close to us, angry glares and very loud discussions. If the general person next to you in the metro is this passionate about the pope, there is of course also people which is just as passionate against him. I was the last ones the won this last battle, but its more or less the first in a long time.

This is the christmas three at the saint peters piazza.